Hanks will guest star as a Union General in 1883
According to Deadline, Tom Hanks will show up in 1883 as a Union General in episode two. The said episode will reportedly feature a flashback scene to the bloodiest day in American history, 1862’s Battle of Antietam. His character, a three-star Union General, is purely fictional but is inspired by General George Meade, who is perhaps best known for his triumphant win at the Battle of Gettysburg against Robert E. Lee. Hanks’ addition is notable in that he very rarely appears in TV shows and series. As popular as 1883 and the mainline show, Yellowstone, is, it’s still interesting that he agreed to do more than just a brief cameo or voiceover. If nothing else, this just confirms just how confident Paramount Network is to give Taylor Sheridan enough money to throw at celebrities to have them appear in either 1883 or Yellowstone as a guest star for an episode or two. Speaking of guest stars, Billy Bob Thorton is also expected to guest star in 1883 as a United States Marshal working in Fort Worth. This suggests that both Thorton and Hank might appear as early as in episode two of 1883. Paramount Network’s investment in Yellowstone is starting to pay off. The show had a rather average opening season when it first debuted in 2018. Thankfully, Yellowstone has improved since. Many critics have also gone and changed their opinion about the show in subsequent seasons. Now that it’s set to get a spin-off, it will be interesting to see how the showrunner will keep audiences entertained. Having said that, 1883 is different from Yellowstone. As we learned more about from the show’s first trailer, 1883 is set, in, well, the 1880s. Instead of seeing the Dutton clan already owning their expansive estate, it will take viewers back to their humble beginnings and track their treacherous trek from their original homeland of Texas to Montana. 1883 will make its debut on December 19 alongside a new Yellowstone episode.
